Redskins Insider: March 21, 2010 - March 27, 2010

From Jason Reid... Longtime Redskins kickoff returner Rock Cartwright and veteran punt returner Antwaan Randle El were among 10 players released just hours before the start of the NFL's free agent signing period. To this point in free agency, the Redskins have not signed specialists to replace Cartwright and Randle...

In an interview Thursday at Redskins Park, linebacker/defensive end Brian Orakpo described the team's previous conditioning program as "a mess." Orakpo, however, had good things to say about Ray Wright, Washington's new lead strength and conditioning coach, who apparently is big on organization. Well, Orakpo's comments got me thinking,...

In a text message to a reporter last week, Andre Carter declined to address speculation that the Redskins might trade him because of their expected switch from a 4-3 base front to a 3-4 hybrid defense. Carter is coming off a personal-best season in which he ranked seventh in the...

Before we get to the question and the non-answer, let's first establish what we know: (1) Kyle Shanahan had the league's top-ranked passing attack last season. (2) The Redskins were interested enough in upgrading the wide receiver position to bring in free agent Antonio Bryant for a visit. He signed elsewhere, and the Redskins...

Santana Moss doesn't need to study much game film to realize how effective a wide receiver can be in Kyle Shanahan's offense. One of his good friends is Houston receiver Andre Johnson, who was a teammate of Moss' at the University of Miami. Moss has spent a lot of time...

Although the Redskins are expected to switch from a 4-3 defensive front to a 3-4, the coaching staff has not officially announced the change, so linebacker/defensive end Brian Orakpo recently declined to speculate on a potential switch. But Orakpo was eager to discuss another major topic concerning the defense: turnovers....

Perhaps no one in the Redskins' locker room understands running back Clinton Portis better than receiver Santana Moss. The two have had a chance to chat during the team's offseason conditioning program this month, and Moss predicts Redskins fans will see an especially motivated Portis next season. "I feel like he's a...

New Redskins running back Larry Johnson missed Thursday's voluntary workout because of a doctor's appointment, according to his agent. "There's nothing to this. He just had a doctor's appointment," Peter Schaffer said in a phone interview. "Someone should have called me [before anything was written]. To not call me was...

Having starred at the University of Texas, Redskins linebacker/defensive end Brian Orakpo is very familiar with former Oklahoma State tackle Russell Okung, whom the Redskins could select with the fourth overall pick in the April 22-24 draft. Orakpo and Okung had a spirited battle while playing in the Big 12...

The Redskins signed linebacker Chris Wilson to a new contract, the team announced. Wilson was a restricted free agent who was given a second-round tender earlier this month. He's the team's third restricted free agent to re-sign with the Redskins, joining Will Montgomery and Lorenzo Alexander. Wilson, a three-year veteran,...

No longer a rookie, Brian Orakpo understands how things work in the NFL. So the impressive second-year linebacker/defensive end figured he would face questions about defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth on Thursday afternoon during media availability at Redskins Park. After attending the orientation session for Washington's voluntary offseason conditioning program, Haynesworth...

Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said this week that he's "looking forward to the competition" running back Larry Johnson will provide Clinton Portis at the running back position. We'd hoped to bring you some thoughts and quotes from Johnson himself today. He was scheduled to meet with reporters this afternoon, but that...

Cornerback Phillip Buchanon plans to visit the Redskins, according to a post on his Twitter feed that was confirmed by Pro Football Talk. Buchanon, 29, played at the University of Miami and was the 17th pick overall in the 2002 draft by the Oakland Raiders. He also has played for...

The whispers that Mike Shanahan was entertaining a change to the 3-4 defense were in circulation well before he even was hired as Redskins' head coach. But in his nearly three months on the job, he's been reluctant to confirm the pending change. And apparently he has a good reason....

No player, it seems, divides our Redskins Insider community more than quarterback Jason Campbell. Based on your comments, some believe Campbell cannot fairly be evaluated because of Washington's overall lack of talent. Others have labeled Campbell as a first-round bust. Regardless of the opinions of Campbell, he clearly has been...

As we noted earlier, Mike Shanahan had nice things to say about several of the quarterback prospects in this year's draft. But because he just finished visiting with Tim Tebow in-person, his remarks on the Florida Gators' Heisman Trophy winner seem especially noteworthy. "I like everything about him," Shanahan said....

Obviously Mike Shanahan wasn't revealing his NFL Draft board, but he did have nice words to share about the top quarterback prospects in next month's draft. He had an especially glowing review of Tim Tebow, and we'll have more on that later. But if you're the type who's convinced the Redskins...

Some of Clinton Portis's teammates privately complained about his poor conditioning at the outset of training camp last season. Once the season began, players expressed frustration about Portis's attempt to have fullback Mike Sellers demoted, his lackadaisical approach to practice and lack of burst during games. For now, though, let's...

The Redskins will hold training camp this summer at Redskins Park in Ashburn, the team has announced. "I have heard about the passionate fans and the huge, enthusiastic crowds that come out to support our team during training camp," Coach Mike Shanahan said in a statement released by the team....

As we've previously reported, Coach Mike Shanahan and defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth have expressed their feelings to each other about Haynesworth's role in the Redskins' new defensive scheme and Shanahan's desire for Haynesworth to participate in the team's voluntary offseason conditioning program. Shanahan on Wednesday morning made his first public...

The buzz topic Wednesday morning at the NFL owners meetings in Orlando was the league's rule change that will significantly alter the way overtime is contested during the playoffs. Some coaches weren't happy the vote among the 32 owners took place on Tuesday and that they were largely left out of...

It took a little longer than expected to get to the owners' meetings here in Orlando, so I'm only now catching up on my reading. In his "Under the Cap" column on FootballOutsiders.com, Jimmy I. Halsell, who really knows his numbers, wrote about how the Redskins finally capitalized on the...

Perhaps the Redskins plan to play without offensive tackles this season and will try to persuade the rest of the league to do so during the owners' meetings in Orlando. Then again, they often played without tackles last season. Just kidding. But the Redskins did have major problems at tackle...

Veteran punter Hunter Smith wasn't exactly surprised that the Redskins planned to sign Josh Bidwell, who played under General Manager Bruce Allen in Tampa Bay. And Smith hasn't ruled out returning to the Redskins, a person familiar with the situation said Tuesday. Although Smith, who was among the team's top...

The Redskins have signed a punter. Josh Bidwell, who played for both bays -- Tampa and Green -- turned 34 10 days ago and was a Pro Bowler in 2005, when he averaged 45.6 yards per punt with a 37.5 net average with the Bucs. He missed all of last...

Redskins General Manager Bruce Allen recently said the coaching staff has reviewed every play in which all of the players on the roster have participated since joining the Redskins. Well, if Coach Mike Shanahan has seen what we've all been watching for the past several seasons, the offensive line jumped...

The Redskins lost another free-agent battle Monday when offensive tackle Barry Sims decided to remain with the San Francisco 49ers. Sims agreed to a one-year contract that could be worth as much as approximately $2.1 million to return to the 49ers for this season, his agent Kenneth Vierra informed Rick...

Over at the D.C. Sports Bog, which is essential reading if you enjoy great writing and laughter, Dan Steinberg has an item about Albert Haynesworth's appearance Monday on SIRIUS NFL Radio with Adam Schein and Rich Gannon. Haynesworth made his first public comments about Washington's switch to a 3-4 defense...

I caught up with top cornerback DeAngelo Hall the other day after he finished working out and watching film with his position group at Redskins Park, and it's fair to say he has totally bought into Coach Mike Shanahan's program. Hall was impressed with Shanahan's opening address to the team...

Conventional thinking goes like this: As the draft nears, quarterbacks slowly climb up the draft board. While that might ultimately prove true, there's at least one bluntly honest assessment of Notre Dame Jimmy Clausen that is worth considering. Cleveland Browns president Mike Holmgren was asked about Clausen on Sunday and...

The Redskins' search for a new quarterback took the team brass to Gainesville, Fla., this weekend, where head coach Mike Shanahan got a chance to see Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow in-person. Tebow had his Pro Day last week, but Shanahan didn't attend, so this was the first chance since...

On Saturday, Kelli Johnson, one of my favorite people at Comcast Sports Net, Tweeted that Albert Haynesworth reported for last week's orientation at Redskins Park but missed the workouts of the offseason conditioning program. Kelli is among the best reporters in the market, and her information, once again, is dead-on...